


above all else, family

by kunstvogel



Category: Red Hood and the Outlaws (Comics)
Genre: Birthday Fluff, Día de los Muertos | Day of the Dead, Family Feels, Flirting, Halloween, Latino Jason Todd, M/M, Pie, Presents, Whipped Cream
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-01
Updated: 2020-11-01
Packaged: 2021-03-08 23:13:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,390
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27334741
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kunstvogel/pseuds/kunstvogel
Summary: It's Roy's birthday, and Jason reflects on how grateful he his to have a place in their little family.
Relationships: Roy Harper/Jason Todd
Comments: 1
Kudos: 95





	above all else, family

**Author's Note:**

> Happy 79th birthday to our boy Roy! He's obviously not that old in this story, but it's pretty incredible he's been around kicking butt that long, huh? This can be read as either canon setting or no powers AU, I didn't specify either way. I like to think that it's a no powers AU though, because it hurts me less.

Gloomy grey light falls over the sheets as Jason wakes up late on a Sunday morning. He's warm, almost uncomfortably so, and rolls over to disengage Roy's touch but finds him gone, his side of the bed empty and cool. Jason realizes that Roy's turned the heat up, the entire room stiflingly warm. Jason sighs, fondly exasperated. He hears whispers of Roy's low voice in the kitchen, followed by Lian's too-loud giggle, and smiles to himself. No doubt Roy's brought out the Pop-Tarts or some similarly sugary excuse for breakfast in Jason's absence.

He stretches widely, allowing himself another minute of solitude before he gets up, pulling on sweatpants and a t-shirt and stopping in the bathroom to relieve himself and brush his teeth. As he makes his way down the hall he turns down the thermostat, saying loudly enough for Roy to hear, "I thought we talked about keeping the temperature at 72, Roy." He smiles as he steps into the kitchen, seeing both Roy and Lian looking up at him wide-eyed, chocolate smeared on their faces.

"Are you eating the Halloween candy for _breakfast?"_ Jason accuses.

"Um," Roy says, swallowing before grinning sheepishly. "Morning, Jaybird."

"Uh-oh," Lian says, quickly hiding her hands behind her back.

"Do you _want_ to give yourself diabetes?" Jason asks Roy, walking over to swipe the bowl off the table. "Not to mention, Lian's already had two cavities."

"Daddy said it's okay as long as I brush my teeth after!" Lian pouts.

"Roy," Jason chastises.

"What? I'm not wrong."

"Sugar is bad for you because of more than just cavities, _hija,"_ Jason says to Lian, ignoring Roy. "It'll make you sick if you have too much. Your dad just has _control issues_ with sugar and coffee." He levels a glare at Roy. "Which isn't an excuse to teach you bad habits. So, I'm making you two a real breakfast."

"Hey-vos ranchos?" Lian requests.

" _Huevos rancheros,"_ Jason corrects gently, smiling. "Sure, baby."

"I want it spicy," Lian says. "Like Daddy's!"

"I don't know if you can handle that," Roy says dubiously. "Maybe just mild salsa, yeah?"

Jason scoffs. "It's Tabasco sauce, it's not gonna kill her. I'll halve the amount, though."

"Thanks." Roy smiles gratefully.

As Jason turns to preparing breakfast, he finds himself thinking, not for the first time, that Roy's protectiveness of Lian is going to become a problem as she grows older. He'd had a hard enough time sending her away to kindergarten, and now she's starting to fill out, growing taller and more independent. Between the two of them, their framework for good parenting is guesswork at best. The closest thing both of them had to family after they lost their biological parents left them both neglected, abused, and tossed on the curb like yesterday's garbage. Jason likes to think they've done well raising Lian so far, but he knows that Roy struggles with change, and they're on the cusp of a big one.

Still, Jason makes himself shift his mind away from the subject. Today's not the day to bring it up, he thinks as he takes the pumpkin pie he'd baked the night before out of the fridge as surreptitiously as possible. Neither Roy nor Lian notice, too busy drawing together, and Jason smiles to himself as he starts on the _huevos rancheros._ He plates and serves it with three glasses of milk, scoffing at Roy's upturned nose.

"It's soy milk," he informs Roy. "Not cow's milk."

"Still looks gross," Roy grumbles, but he takes a sip. Whatever he thinks of it, he doesn't show on his face. He keeps a watchful eye on Lian as she takes a bite of hers, eyes widening slightly as she tastes the hot sauce. A smile splits across her cheeks and she talks around her food.

"It's good! Thank you, _papá."_

" _De nada,"_ Jason smiles. "You're welcome."

Jason watches, amused, as both Roy and Lian scarf their meals down with the same enthusiasm. Two peas in a pod, they are, and Jason finds himself not for the first time feeling profoundly grateful to have a place in their life. He eats his own meal with a little less enthusiasm, not feeling particularly hungry but enjoying the time with his family. The night before, he'd gone trick-or-treating with Roy and Lian, and later tonight the three of them will gather around the _ofrenda_ they'd set up in the living room to pay their respects to the family members they'd lost; respectively, Jason's birth mother and both of Roy's biological parents. Jason had already planned and prepared a full dinner in advance; chicken _tamales_ , cilantro rice, flint corn, and frybread, finished off with a celebratory Modelo Especial in honor of Roy's father—and a ginger ale for Lian.

But for this morning, Jason has a different celebration in mind, and when Roy and Lian have cleared their plates, he brings out the pumpkin pie and takes a bowl of whipped cream from the fridge. Roy's eyes light up as Jason sets it on the table.

"Happy birthday, _corazón,"_ Jason murmurs, cutting and plating a slice for Roy.

"And here I thought you'd forgotten, what with everything else going on," Roy teases, grinning toothily.

"No," Jason says. "It was Halloween I almost forgot about. Good thing Lian wouldn't let me forget." He winks at Lian, who puffs her chest out proudly. Jason slathers the whipped cream onto Roy's slice and slides it to him, cutting a piece for Lian as Roy doesn't wait, taking a bite. His eyes widen and he moans softly.

"I'm never buying another Walmart pie again," he says, and Jason scoffs. "No, seriously, this is the best thing I've ever put in my mouth. What's different about the crust?"

"It's graham cracker and pecan," Jason answers. "Made from scratch, with butter. All of this is from scratch, actually. The whipped cream, too."

"I'm so glad I married you," Roy says. "Is there more of the cream? I have _ideas_ for making use of that later." He raises an eyebrow, eyelids lowering suggestively.

" _Roy,"_ Jason intones, but he can't deny that the suggestion turns him on somewhat. Lian is cheerfully oblivious, tucking into her own slice of pie with gusto. Jason doesn't cut himself a slice, and Roy notices, raising an eyebrow. "Not hungry," he shrugs. "I'll have some later."

Before Roy can say anything to that, Lian asks, "Can we watch _The Nightmare Before Christmas_ now?"

"Sure, baby, after you put your dishes away."

Lian jumps up immediately, taking her dishes to the sink before disappearing into the living room. Roy chuckles fondly and follows suit, dropping a kiss to Jason's temple before he exits the room. Jason listens as he puts on the movie while he starts washing the plates, and when he hears the opening sequence beginning to play, he feels Roy's arms wrap around his hips, his warm weight against his back.

"Love you," Roy murmurs, and Jason smiles.

"I love you too."

"The pie was really good," Roy hums. "My favorite kind."

"You've mentioned. I've got a present for you, too."

"Is it a fun present?" Roy whispers conspiratorially, excited at the prospect, but Jason shakes his head.

"Something you'll like more, I think."

"Now I'm curious." Roy drops a kiss to the base of Jason's neck—after raising on the tips of his toes, Jason knows—then sidles around him, drying and putting away the dishes Jason's washed. After they've finished tidying up the kitchen, Jason goes to the bedroom and brings Roy's gift out of the closet, finding him on the couch with Lian as he presents it to him.

Roy's eyes widen and he grins as he makes out what it is.

"You got me a heated blanket?" he asks, and Jason nods.

"You're always bitching about the cold." With a smile, he throws the blanket open over Roy and Lian and turns it on, then slides under to join them on the couch, Lian nestled between him and Roy watching the movie avidly. The heat kicks in almost immediately, and Roy tucks his feet under his thighs, pulling the hem of the blanket up over his shoulders. Jason leans over to steal a kiss before he disappears under it completely.

"Happy birthday, Roy," he murmurs, then settles, enjoying a movie with his family.


End file.
